1,641 More Diamonds Recovered From Courier Parcel Destined For Rome

A suspicious courier employee of DHL Express alerted Department of Revenue Intelligence about a parcel bound for Rome which contained the diamonds recently stolen from India International Jewellery Show in Mumbai, reports Mirror. The alert

PTI [ Updated: August 27, 2010 10:29 IST ]

1 641 more diamonds recovered from courier parcel destined for rome

A suspicious courier employee of DHL Express alerted Department of Revenue Intelligence about a parcel bound for Rome which contained the diamonds recently stolen from India International Jewellery Show in Mumbai, reports Mirror.

The alert employee of the courier company on Monday helped police recover 1,641 more diamonds, believed to be part of the Rs 6.6 crore diamond heist at the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) at the NEC ground in Goregaon.

With 245 diamonds already seized from four suspects who were detained at Dubai, the Mumbai Crime Branch says almost all the stolen booty has been recovered.

The 1,641 diamonds were found hidden in a parcel booked for Rome by a Venezuelan national, Perez Valmore, through DHL Express courier on Monday.

Perez is the fifth suspect involved in the heist, who travelled to Dubai with the four suspects, but escaped the police net.

“Perez was not identified by the show organisers during the CCTV footage screening. Organisers identified only four foreign nationals, including a woman, who were subsequently detained at Dubai airport on our request. Perez was believed to be with the group at Dubai, but escaped,” Joint police commissioner (crime) Himanshu Roy said.

According to sources, Perez booked a consignment of clothes at DHL Express, to be shipped to Rome on Monday before taking a flight to Dubai.

According to sources, he proceeded to Johannesburg from Dubai. The consignment included a black coat, a woman's jacket, a sports jacket, a yellow bag and a maroon towel. He reportedly hid the diamonds in the pocket of one of the jackets.

Although the parcel was accepted by the courier company, an alert employee suspected foul play. “Most employees of courier companies have been trained by intelligence and antinarcotics agencies to screen suspects. This employee was suspicious why a foreign national was shipping jackets and a towel, things which he could have easily carried back,” sources said.

The employee tipped off the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, whose authorities screened the parcel upon arrival at the Mumbai airport and discovered the diamonds hidden inside.

The four suspects had claimed to be representatives of Kape Watchmaker, a Mexico-based diamond company, and stole diamonds from the kiosk of Salumi Hongkong on Monday. The suspects then took a flight to Dubai on their way to Hamburg.